IoT and Mobility: The Wave of the Future

The Internet of Things is everywhere now, from wearable fitness devices to connected cars and smartphones. As our daily routines become more and more dependent on the Internet of Things (IoT), the amount of data amassed will become increasingly difficult to navigate.

The billions of connected devices and sensors that are already in use can present possibilities for a whole new level of data usage and integration when it comes to business decisions. It is predicted that IoT will grow to reach a whopping 200 billion devices by the year 2020, which means the task of making sense of all this information is likely to become even more complex.

A combination of mobility and IoT can give businesses a true competitive advantage. For example, machining solutions and tools provider MAPAL found success by creating a mobile app that incorporated abilities such as voice and photo recognition with scanning so that broken parts could be easily identified, dramatically quickening the replacement process.

They then created an IoT platform to manage tool-related data in a central place on the cloud. This “data highway” allows suppliers and customers to maintain tool-related data. This is expected to boost machine learning and predictive forecasting over time to slash downtime and boost workforce productivity as a result. It could even lead to autonomous workflows wherein new parts can be ordered without the need for human interaction.

This same innovation can be applied to many different types of companies to spur growth. Every day, more and more objects are connecting, from blood pressure monitors to toasters to nano-robots and industrial machines. With so many possibilities opening up when it comes to optimizing processes, boosting worker engagement and increasing customer satisfaction, the unprecedented amounts of data that are becoming available must be harnessed to make it more accessible, mobile and actionable.